The Rural Voice, 2003-06, Page 52Ag News
Uncertainty continues in beef industry
Continued from page 47
producers tried to determine what
was there best course of action
following the BSE announcement.
There was a mood of uncertainty for
everyone involved in the beef
industry, Kuhl said.
Producers don't know how long it
might be before the borders re -open
and when that occurs there could be a
bottleneck of supply.
Cattle dealers and truckers will
also feel the impact in a big way, said
Coultes, as nothing is moving.
However, Coultes believes the
issue has been "blown out of
proportion. It was one cow and the
rest were negative. The CFIA did
their job and the cow was kept out of
the food chain."
He also points out this cow was
caught even though it did not show
The cattle industry is on hold.
the classic signs of BSE as depicted
on the television. It was withdrawn
due to pneumonia -like conditions.
Even with the original Alberta
herd testing negative, Coultes fears
the biggest impact will be in ways
that are still unknown. Even once this
case is resolved, Coultes wonders
about the long-term perception by
consumers about Canadian beef.
"It will take longer to get back to
normal than we think."
As of May 27, the CFIA had 17
farms in quarantine, 12 in Alberta,
three in British Columbia. and two in
Saskatchewan as they continue to
track the life of the lone infected
cow.
The index herd owned by Marwyn
Peaster of Wanham, Alberta. were
slaughtered and tested, and found to
be negative. The investigation into
the source of the brain -wasting
infection continues, in particular to a
Baldwinton, Saskatchewan farm
where the cow spent four years
before going to Peaster's.
From a release by the CCA, the
organization is working diligently
with the CFIA to reassure the
markets and trading partners that the
situation has been contained, stating
additional precautionary slaughters
and testing may be necessary.°
Great ideas on display at Ontario Pork Congress
The good ideas of Ontario pork
producers will be showcased at the
30th anniversary of the Ontario Pork
congress at the Stratford Fairgrounds,
June 19-20.
The Innovation Competition
rewards those designs with the
greatest creativity and practicality,
with cash prizes and a first place
award of $1,000. Most designs are
built from odds and ends from the
farm, to answer the daily demands of
the producer; old snowmobile tracks
might become a skid -proof runway
mat or drainage tile can help protect a
producer's ankles. Entries must be
in use on the entrant's farm and
cannot be patented or in the use of
the general public. Entries must be
intended primarily for pork
production. All 21 finalists will be
featured in a future issue of The
Ontario Hog Farmer magazine.
The 2003 Ontario Pork Congress
also provides an opportunity to help
children in Central America by
joining with the St. Willibrord,
Mitchell and Heartland Credit
Unions in collecting caps for
children.
The goal is to collect 3,000 hats to
send to Guatemala, where cataracts,
48 THE RURAL VOICE
particularly juvenile cataracts, are at
levels several times that of Canada.
Peter Huitema, a producer from
the Sebringville area, has travelled to
Guatemala for eight years, doing
relief work in various forms,
including a recent trip with the Lion's
Club to distribute eye glasses and
annually treat as many as 4,500
people with vision problems in the
Mayan region of the country. "The
Mayans are mostly farmers, so they
spend large amounts of time
outdoors, from a young age, in the
high ultra -violet light from the bright
sunshine," says Huitema. "The
people have no protection, so giving
them caps helps keep the sun out of
their eyes. Young people can
develop cataracts at ages of seven or
eight years, and are virtually blind
within 10 years."
Stratford optometrist Dr. Linda
Bathe confirms the liked for such
attention, adding her voice to the
cause. "Unprotected exposure to
ultra -violet light is a precursor to the
development of cataracts, at a
younger age,i she explains. IThis is
another reason, beyond sunburn, to
wear hats in the summer."
Last year, Huitema's group
distributed 3,000 caps to patients of
the clinic in Guatemala. He hopes
this new Ontario project will raise at
least the same number this year. "I
think that would be just super," says
Huitema, explaining that his
volunteer groups here in Canada and
in Guatemala are already stretched
thin, arranging and cataloguing
eyeglasses. That organizations like
The Ontario Pork Congress and the
Credit Unions are willing to step
forward to help is of great value.
"We thought this was a good fit,"
says Richard Smelski, who is
managing the project on behalf of
The Ontario Pork Congress. He
hopes to collect at least 3,000 caps
but would love to gather even more.
"All farmers have lots of caps which
they may never wear; this would put
them to an important use."
The caps may be new or gently
used but must be in good condition.
Attendees to the Pork Congress, can
drop off their caps at the show.
Others wanting to donate caps can do
so at any branch of St. Willibrord
Credit Union, Mitchell & District
Credit Union and Heartland Credit
Union.°